Problem Specific Templates for Electronic Hospital Documentation

The emergence of electronic documentation has led to multiple new challenges for physicians. Despite positive expectations, many physicians have received electronic health systems with mixed results. Review of current literature has identified the following reasons for concern: increased time required for documentation, deteriorating quality of notes, mindless use of copy-and-paste functions, and fragmentation of clinical work from poorly designed computing workflows. The study of template use has not been done in a large scale or with clear outcome measurements. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Problem Specific Templates on quality, accuracy, and efficiency of physician documentation practices.